DNA, dental records identify remains found in 1994

May 1, 2013

Written by

Associated Press

PORT HURON — Southeastern Michigan authorities say they’ve used DNA and dental records to identify remains found in 1994 as those of a central Ohio woman who disappeared in 1988.

The St. Clair County sheriff’s office in Port Huron said Wednesday that University of North Texas experts confirmed the skeleton is that of Diann Tatum, who disappeared while traveling from Ohio to visit her parents in the Detroit suburb of Warren.

The station says the breakthrough happened after members of Tatum’s family had their genetic data entered into a national database in March 2013 and a connection was made. It says dental records confirmed the identification in April.